Understanding planning · 13 min read
Planning application documents: what to read first
Understand planning application documents, officer reports and decision notices. Use a reading checklist, document table and worked example to inspect a case.
Scotland · Local authority
Orkney Islands
Planning applications.
Explore collected planning applications and decisions for Orkney Islands. Search an address, application reference or proposal to find a record.
Collected application statistics
Collected records · All available dates11,977Searchable applications
139Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 10,073 approved or refused records
434Refused applications
9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 24 Sept 1979 to 5 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 12 Oct 2026. Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.
Local planning information
Council sources checked 14 Sept 2026Planning information Planning and BuildingLocal plan Development and Marine Planning (policy)Pre-application advice Pre-application AdviceConservation areas Conservation Area Consent
Council contacts
- Planning enquiries01856873535Council source
- Planning enquiriesplanning@orkney.gov.ukCouncil source
Contact details were found on council pages. Check the source for opening hours and which enquiries the service handles.
Conservation areas and Article 4 directions
Explore published planning boundaries and follow their source records for designation details. Coverage varies: an empty map does not mean there are no restrictions. Check the council’s current maps and documents before relying on a boundary.
Conservation areas6 mapped area records
Article 4 direction areasBoundary dataset not connected
Interactive planning map loads with JavaScript. Dataset sources are linked below.
Download Article 4 coverage for all authorities (CSV)
Data downloaded 14 Sept 2026. Display boundaries are simplified and indicative. Map record counts are not a complete count of designations or directions.
Source: Historic Environment Scotland. Contains Historic Environment Scotland and Ordnance Survey data © Historic Environment Scotland – Scottish Charity No. SC045925 © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data is indicative and may not contain the latest designations.
More application records
- Decided11/515/MARCON
Review of existing fish farm sites - 12 circular cages 70m circumference, depth 6m to rear atlantic salmon (single species only)
Carness Bay, The String, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 23 Sept 2011 - Decided11/516/PP
Construct footpath on verge and embankment associated with B9055 to enable pedestrian access between Ring of Brodgar and Stones of Stenness
Ring Of Brodgar And Stones Of Stenness (Land Near), Stenness
Received 23 Sept 2011 - Decided11/517/PP
Change of use from a shop to a hot food takeaway
Westview, Great Western Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AN
Received 23 Sept 2011 - Decided11/518/PP
Install an air source heat pump
5 Meadow Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HA
Received 23 Sept 2011 - Decided11/519/PP
Erect a house with integral garage, demolish redundant garages to form an access at Franklin Road
Franklin Road (Land Near), Stromness
Received 23 Sept 2011 - Decided11/520/TPP
Amend planning permission 10/394/PP to change turbine type (max. height 18.2m)
Binscarth House (Land Near), Firth, Orkney, KW17 2JZ
Received 23 Sept 2011 - Decided11/521/PP
Erect a house and install an air source heat pump
Bellona (Land Near), Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PR
Received 23 Sept 2011 - Decided11/522/PP
Erect a house and install an air source heat pump
Bellona (Land Near), Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PR
Received 23 Sept 2011 - Decided11/523/SCR
Screening opinion request to erect a wind turbine (max. height 20.9m)
Braemar (Land Near), Aikerskaill Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QH
Received 23 Sept 2011 - Decided11/524/SCR
Screening opinion request to erect 2 wind turbines (max. height 20.9m)
Redland (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3LN
Received 23 Sept 2011 - Decided11/525/SCR
Screening opinion request to erect a wind turbine (max. height 20.9m)
Drill Cottage (Land Near), Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DZ
Received 23 Sept 2011 - Decided11/526/SCR
Screening opinion request to erect a wind turbine (max. height 20.9m)
Lower Arsdale (Land Near), Evie, Orkney, KW17 2NN
Received 23 Sept 2011 - Decided11/527/SCR
Screening opinion request to erect a wind turbine (max. height 27.2m)
Peedie Hoose (Land Near), North Breck, Firth, KW17 2EY
Received 23 Sept 2011 - Decided11/528/SCR
Screening opinion request to erect a wind turbine (max. height 27.2m)
Burness (Land Near), Burness Road, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2ET
Received 23 Sept 2011 - Decided11/529/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max. height 39m) (Together with the turbine proposed under 11/530/TPP, to substitute for 3 15kw turbines approved under 10/487/PP)
Stenso (Land Near), Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PJ
Received 23 Sept 2011 - Decided11/530/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max. height 39m) (Together with the turbine proposed under 11/529/TPP, to substitute for 3 15kw turbines approved under 10/487/PP)
Stenso (Land Near), Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PJ
Received 23 Sept 2011 - Decided11/531/PP
Erect an extension, demolish existing lean-to, re clad roof and walls of main building and create hardstanding/parking area
Orkney Motors, Grainshore Road, Kirkwall, KW15 1FL
Received 27 Sept 2011 - Decided11/532/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max. height 17.8m)
Craigielea (Land Near), Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JU
Received 27 Sept 2011 - Decided11/533/PIP
Siting of a house
Thorwald (Land Near), Sanday, Orkney
Received 27 Sept 2011 - Decided11/534/PP
Extend a house
Sandesquoy, Groatsetter Road, Tankerness, Orkney, KW17 2QT
Received 27 Sept 2011 - Decided11/535/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max. height 18m)
Maltbarn (Land Near), Eday, Orkney, KW17 2AA
Received 27 Sept 2011 - Decided11/536/VR
Vary condition 1 of full planning permission 06/421/PPF to extend the consent to erect a house and office
Stackald (Land Near), Eday, Orkney, KW17 2AA
Received 28 Sept 2011 - Decided11/537/PP
Erect a GP store
Scapa Garage (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SG
Received 30 Sept 2011 - Appeal decided11/538/PP
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Hottit, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TH
Received 30 Sept 2011
Records are ordered by application ID, not submission date. Use search to find a particular address or proposal.
View all applicationsResearching a proposal in Orkney Islands
Start with the address or application reference. Open a record to read the proposal, dates and available documents, then check the official register for the latest plans and consultation details. If nothing appears, check coverage before treating the result as a complete planning history.
Planning procedures in Scotland differ from those in England. Use the authority’s own guidance for application requirements, comments and decision timescales.
How to search planning applicationsGuides to planning records
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Understand planning approval rates with an interactive calculator, worked examples and comparison table. Check sample sizes, outcomes and coverage before comparing.
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What these statistics cover
These figures describe applications collected by PlanningTrack for Orkney Islands, across all dates currently available. They are a partial dataset, rather than an authority-wide performance measure. The date range does not establish continuous historical coverage.
The approval percentage is approved records divided by approved plus refused records. Pending, withdrawn and unknown outcomes are excluded. No percentage is shown until there is an approved or refused record.
Check collection coverage